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Video Transcription

Hi, everyone. My name is Mario. And I'd like to welcome you to today's lesson on motion graphics.

So we're going to learn about motion graphics. And then look at a few examples to see what it looks like in practice. So as always, feel free to pause, fast forward, and rewind at your own pace. And then, when you're ready to go, let's get started.

OK, so let's begin by defining motion graphic design. And motion graphic design is a time-based practice that applies design elements and principles to movement. So basically, what that means is that it's a time-based practice.

So it's used for time-based projects like TV or film, and anything that uses moving visual elements. So I'm going to stop blabbing here for minute. And let's check out what I'm talking about.

[BEGIN VIDEO PLAYBACK]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]

OK, so that was a pretty basic example. And I apologize for the lack of good quality or excitement. I know it wasn't too thrilling. But this is an example of a title sequence, which tells the film or shows synopsis, while introducing the names of the people that worked on the film.

And although that might have not seemed too amazing by today's standards, it was actually a huge deal. Motion graphics provided that extra visual interest to something that would have otherwise been bland or boring. So think about if you were watching Star Wars, not to knock on any Star Wars fans, but if you were watching that intro where the text is just scrolling on for days without music in just a plain black background, it would bore you to tears. So motion graphics provided that extra bit of a substance and visual interest.

An important figure in motion graphics was Saul Bass, who was a graphic designer and all around cool guy, who pioneered the use of motion graphics in films and commercials in the '50s and '60s. And his work is very extensive and well received. And he worked on a lot of films, a lot of Hitchcock films, in fact, like North by Northwest, Psycho, and a huge bevy of films, even stuff like Alien, Goodfellas, and Casino.

Now, motion graphics is different from graphic design because of the use of sound. And sound becomes very, very important as a design element and it greatly influences what visual elements are used, and how they're going to be animated. And when animating, editing and timing become key concentrations in the motion graphics field. So let's take a look at editing and timing in practice in this next example.

[BEGIN VIDEO PLAYBACK]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]

OK, so that was part of a really great motion graphic created by Jacob Jackman. And you can see how greatly the music influenced the timing and editing of the animation.

So move on to editing, since we're talking about it. And editing is a process of piecing together segments of graphical sequence to convey a particular message in time. So editing and timing, again, are extremely crucial. And motion graphic designers must be conscious on timing the animations, so that the graphic elements seem natural in the environment and so that they provide the right feeling or mood that it's attempting to convey.

Well, everyone, that wraps it up for today's lesson. Let's recap with our key terms. I really wish I could show you way more, but I'd probably go overboard. So again, "motion graphic design," "title sequence," "sound," "editing," and Saul Bass.

And I'd encourage you to Google or YouTube some moral of Saul Bass's work. I promise it's a lot better than what I've shown in this lesson. And check out some newer title sequences like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, Catch Me if You Can, any of the newer James Bond's films, and maybe some of your favorite TV shows or films.

So I hope you've enjoyed this lesson with me today. My name is Mario. And I'll see you next lesson.

TERMS TO KNOW

Motion Graphic Design

Motion graphic design is a time-based practice that applies design elements and principles to movement.

Title Sequence

A title sequence tells the film or show’s synopsis while introducing the names of the people that worked on the film

Sound

A wave vibration that produces an auditory effect.

Editing

Editing is a process of piecing together segments of graphical sequence to convey a particular message in time.

Saul Bass

Saul Bass was a graphic designer who pioneered the use of motion graphics on films and commercials in the 50's and 60's.